Philippe Mesly came to Niagara College intent to focus on the food growing courses. After only a few weeks, there was so much more to horticulture than he expected–or expected to enjoy. He was especially drawn to learning about trees and taking design courses.
Mesly, the Dean’s Award recipient in the School of Environment and Horticultural Studies, graduates today. We catch up with him to find out what his NC experience has meant to him, and where he’s headed in his career.
Philippe Mesly
Hometown: Georgetown, Ontario
Age: 28
Academic Achievement: Dean’s Award Winner, School of Environment and Horticultural Studies, Horticultural Technician (96.0% average)
To what factors do you attribute your academic success?
I made some great friends who were a big help to me along the way. I learned as much from talking and getting to know other students as I did in the courses. I believe our success was a collective effort. Through the peer tutoring program, I gained experience as an educator while getting to know some great people whose achievements deserve to be recognized. The most influential people, however, were the professors. I hope to give back as much as I have received, in particular by embodying the generosity shown by Niagara College’s professors.
What led you to study at NC and to your program, specifically?
My determination to study horticulture came from a desire to make a direct impact on environmental protection. My goal is to work in the field of public education, encouraging people to build strong communities and local economies that are in harmony with the natural environment. I felt that learning how to grow my own food was an important step toward achieving this goal, so that I could share this with others.
What was your situation when you enrolled at NC in your current program?
I enrolled at Niagara College as COVID-19 lockdowns were in full swing and I was having difficulty finding work. I planned to focus on the food growing courses and not worry too much about the rest. However, within weeks of starting, I was captivated by the many different aspects of horticulture that I had not known about beforehand.
What have you been doing since completing your studies? What are your future plans?
Since my second semester, I have been working as a gardener at Casa Loma in Toronto. However, I am working with my friend Jackie on starting a market garden that focuses on providing public education programs to the local community. The idea is to make a space that allows people to gain hands-on experience growing and caring for the land, while studying topics in the humanities in a convivial atmosphere. In this way, we hope to foster the civic and environmental understanding that allows us to contribute responsibly to our communities. We are in the early stages of looking for funding and land (ideally in the Niagara or Norfolk area), but we have some great support already and hope to start with something small in the next year or so.
